Vehicle-tire.



G. E. STARN. VEHICLE .TIRB. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1909-.

WITNESSES L% YZIINVLNTOR I I PatentedJan. 9, 1912.

ATEN FFICE.

GEORGE E. STARN, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HANNAH M. DOVER, OF IPALMYRA, NEW JERSEY.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed November 20, 1909. Serial No. 529,147.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. STARN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State .5 of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tires for vehicle wheels, and more particularly to pneumatic cushion tires for automobiles, carriages, bicycles and other vehicles on which it is desirable to use tires possessing a certain amount of elasticity or yielding properties, and has for its object the provision of a simple, inexpensive and efficient pneumatic cushion tire that will contribute to the ease and comfort of the occupant of the vehicle, and relieve the machinery of the latterfrom strain, jar, wear and tear, and which will not be susceptible to puncture.

A further object is to provide a wheeltire of the character-referred to having a solid broad tread overlying a correspondingly broad and soft or yielding member and an interlocking connection between the two members, whereby air-pressure within the yielding member will exert itself in binding the two members inseparably together, under the varying conditions of use, so and when subjected to severe strains tending to draw, pull or force the outer member or tread off of the inner portion or rim of the wheel.

Theinvention will first be hereinaftermore particularly described, with reference tothe accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a partof this specification, and then poiiited out in the claims at the end of the description.

Figure 1 of said drawings represents a perspective view of a portion of a wheel having a pneumatic cushion tire thereon embodying my invention, 'and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, on enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section cutting off one side of the rim of the wheel, and

showing the yielding member formed of two parts,each extending half way around the rim, means being shown also for preventing the tire from creeping around the rim, and portions of the tire being broken away.

In said drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to denote corresponding parts in different views, the letter A may denote the tread or male member of vehicle-wheel tire which is preferably composed of hard rubber and has a broad base a, and a projection a extending around the inner side thereof and preferably substantially circular in cross-section.

-The letter B denotes the inner portion or female member of the tire, having a tubular portion or socket b which extends longitudinally of the tire and is shown circular in cross section. The socket b is provided with a narrow opening Z2 extending along the outer side thereof and adapted to receive said projection a and also having an air chamber 0 therein, which extends around said tubular portion or socket b to the opposite sides of said opening 5 so as to adapt the air pressure within said air chamber to compress the socket portion of the female member around said projection a and thereby clench and firmly secure the two members together without other fastening means.

In the form shown, the female-member B is virtually a tube within a.tubular portion which is substantially rectangular in cross-section, said tube having a longitudinal slot opening therein from the outer v side of said rectangular portion, and the latter is seated within and upon a substantially U-shaped rim 1), preferably of steel, the sides (I of which may extend past the junction of the outer and inner members of thetire so as to provide a housing for the female member and an abutment at each side of the male member. Though preferably composed of hard metal or steel, other material may be used for the rim, and other forms employed, the form shown being simply a serviceable and preferrd construction. p y

For the purpose of inflating the hollow flexible female member, a valved air-tube or nipple E, such as ordinarily employed' on pneumatic tires, may be inserted through registering openings in the rim and inner portion of said female member, as shown, or in any desired manner, to permit the introduction of air into said air chamber C.

the air pressure Within the inner member is maintained, regardless ofthe conditions of use, which often result in the Withdrawal of the outer members ofinflatable tires, as heretofore constructed, through friction,

.5sliding, concussion, explosion, or engagement with the rails and slots of street railways and the like. As will be seen, the construction of the female 'member is such asto provide as it were 'claws'b along-the margins of the slot in the tube 1 fitting into the recess at the neck of the projection on the male member, so as to adapt the air pres sure within'the air chamber to force said -claw-like portions of the material of said tubular portion into the recesses about the neck of said projection and clench the same, thereby firmly and securely binding and holding the two members together without danger of separation. The outer or male member is preferably composed of hard rub-. ber and is solid, and the inner member is preferably composed of soft rubber, thou h any other suitable material possessing su 'cient resiliency or flexibility may be employed. It will also be observed that the tread of the tire has a broad substantially fiat base seated on a correspondingly broad and flat yieldable inflatable ortion, and that the latter is protected agalnst puncture by the outer solid or hard rubber tread and by the surrounding hard metal rim, thus meeting all of the re uirements for-safety and comfort and'a'voiding the liability to accidents such as are caused from puncture .or the bursting of a tire. The form of the tread and female member of the tire also adapts the latter to act as a fu1l bow-spring,

and I preferably make it in two equal parts or semi-circles, thim providing four ends. This will lessen the expense of manufacture and facilitate adjustmen of the tire, and by placing a projection @1 upon-the rim at the break of the two semi-circles th e fe male tire will beprevented from creeping, and, thus save damage to the air valve which is caused by creeping of tires. It is also less expensive to replace one of the parts instead of a Whole female tire in .event of accident or injury to the tire or valve.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air cushioned tire comprising a hollow flexible female member having a socket therein open along its outer side and an air chamber within said member extending around said socket to opposite sides of the I f opening therein, and a male member having a broad substantially flat base seated on said correspondingly shaped outer side of said female member and provided with a projection fitted in said socket and adapted to be retained therein by air pressure Within said chamber causing said female member to clench and hold said projection.

2. An air cushioned tire comprising a hollow flexible female member havin a longitudinally extending and substantlally circular socket therein open along its outer side, said side being broad and substantially flat, and a male member of hard rubber having a broad substantially flat base seated on said flat side and provided with a substantially circular projection fitting into said socket and adapted to be retained therein by air pressure within said chamber clenching the material of the socket around said projection.

3. An air cushioned tire comprising a. tread and a substantially rectangular. and

inflatable portion, the tread and inflatable portion being substantially coextensive in width and-being interlocked by having a. portion of one entered into a socket of the other and held therein by the inflation of,

said inflatable portion. I

4. The combination with an air cushioned tire comprising a solid tread having a pro-- I jection and-an inflatable portion having a socket engaged by said projection, the tread.

and inflatable portion being substantially coextensive in width, and being substantially rectangular in cross section, and a wheel rim embracing theinflatable portion and forming a housing for the air chamber thereof.

5. The combih'ation with an-air cushioned tire substantially rectangular in cross section and comprising a non-puncturable tread and an inflatable portion, the tread and inflatable portion being interlocked by a portion of one being entered into a socket of the other, the inflation of the inflatable portion looking it and the tread to-' gether, and a substantially U- 'shaped rim embracing the inflatable portion and extending beyond its juncture with the tread and housing the air chamber of the inflatable'portion and overlying the sides of the tread.

In testimon whereof I affix my signature, in presence 0 two witnesses.

GEORGE E. STARN.

' Witnesses: H. RICHARDSON, CHARLES B. WALKER. 

